What is the project?

Following feedback received from schools and the community in the 2018 SACE Stage 2 Review [PDF 172KB] the SACE Board began to redesign Stage 1 Personal Learning Plan (PLP), to be replaced with Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF).

We used the SACE Board’s promise to shape education so that students thrive to reconceptualise the subject, the pedagogy, the assessment, and quality assurance procedures.

EIF will meet the requirements for SACE completion.

Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF)

The intention behind EIF is to assist students to recognise their individual strengths and see that the purpose and value of learning is much more than knowledge and grades. Through EIF students will:

• explore identity and belonging
• develop agency
• pursue and develop an area of interest that matters to them

In EIF students will lead their own learning and use a self-directed approach to move away from the old ‘what do you want to do’ and towards ‘who do you want to be.’

Pilot 1

Pilot 1 in semester 1 2022, tested the first version of the new EIF subject outline and the shift in teacher practice in a live environment with 19 participating government, independent and catholic schools across South Australia. The SACE Board worked closely with schools and teachers, providing support and evaluating what worked and what needed to change. 

Analysis and evaluation of the pilot identified whether the new subjects delivered the intended impact. This process also provided valuable insights and recognised refinements that will be adapted into the delivery of the subject to support the second pilot. Some key learnings from the initial pilot include: 

• pilot teachers suggested that students thrived when growing and learning occurred in an area of personal value (passion) 
• students were able to transfer their learning of new skills and capabilities into their approach with other SACE subjects 
• as pilot teachers stepped back from providing instruction and scaffolds, students stepped in and were able to authentically engage in learning that was of personal value and interest 
• assessment processes emphasised the role of the teacher in using natural evidence of learning, agency, feedback and metacognition to progress student learning. 

Pilot 2

The second pilot for EIF will run during Semester 1, 2023, made up of 71 schools. The pilot community includes schools from metro and regional South Australia, the Northern Territory and all sectors: government, Catholic and independent.

Pilot 2 will see us to continue to work closely with schools to design, adapt, and test new curriculum, assessment, and pedagogical approaches to improve the learning experience for students.

During Semester 1, we will extend the testing and learning from the first pilot to specifically focus on:

• pedagogical change required to successfully deliver the new subjects across a diversity of teachers
• development and testing of professional learning to support co-agency, metacognition, natural evidence of learning and feedback
• involving school teaching and learning leaders in the implementation of professional learning for their school’s teachers
• role of school leadership in sponsoring and resourcing the new subjects
• ensuring teacher practices support success for all students, including students who experience disadvantage.

So far, our Pilot 2 community has:

• engaged in professional learning about the four pedagogical themes central to the intent of EIF, with a deep dive into:
  • agency (including co-agency in learning design) 
  • natural evidence of learning, 
  • self-regulation (metacognition and self-efficacy), and 
  • feedback.
• developed professional learning plans to test different ways to build teachers’ pedagogical practice in their site context
• engaged in initial meetings with cross-site communities of practice to workshop ideas, discuss their experiences, and adapt to the nuances of their specific context.

What’s next?

Analysis and evaluation will be undertaken directly following the conclusion of the pilot. Learnings and insights will be shared and inform further development and next steps towards implementation.

Professional Learning

As the Revitalisation of the Personal Learning Plan project steps closer towards future implementation of Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF), the SACE Board is providing early professional learning.

Activating Identities and Futures (AIF) & Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF) workshops for Senior Years Teaching and Learning Leaders (also known as Curriculum Directors, Assistant Principal Curriculum, Director of Teaching and Learning). 

Various locations, 21 March – 17 April.